Inland Empire Woman In Disbelief After Flower Vase Is Taken From Father's Grave

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — An Inland Empire woman is in disbelief after the grave of her father, among others, was defiled.

Anna DeShong says the vase meant to hold flowers for her father's grave was taken from Crestlawn Cemetery in Riverside.

"He picked this marker before he passed away and there is a reason why he picked this because he [thought] that we [would] never have to replace it," DeShong said.

DeShong discovered the vase was missing during a visit last week to the cemetery with other family members. However, they weren't the only victims.

"We started walking down the hill a little bit. We found about 11 of them missing," DeShong recalls.

Staff at the cemetery told Wait that thieves have also been targeting the bronze headstones.

"I just hope that the recycling places realize that these aren't just something that you just melt down. You know that it came from a marker from a cemetery," DeShong said.

DeShong says she wants to ensure that her father is treated with the same respect in death as he was in life as a World War II veteran.

"I don't know how much you can get for something like that but, I mean, a few dollars here and there for some sort of metal to disrespect somebody's loved ones," she added.

Meanwhile, the cemetery's staff said they've reported the crimes to police and are replacing the stolen items.